When Dallas turned 150 years old in 1991, Rose-Mary Rumbley celebrated the occasion by writing The Unauthorized History of Dallas-a history that takes the scenic route.
Rose-Mary, whose German immigrant forbears began arriving in Dallas after the Civil War, accumulates history almost by osmosis. And she finds humor in ever snaggle-toothed story.
Her peephole history includes a collection of stories accumulated by her family, many originally published in the Oak Cliff Tribune. Rose-Mary explores everything in Dallas from South Fork and that "awful" Texas accent, to a two-bit Santa, and Dallas personalities are discussed, including Robert L. Thornton, Doak Walker, Rufus C. Burleson, and even Bonnie and Clyde. There is also coverage of businesses-the department store bunch, Pegasus and Mobil Oil, Texas Instruments, LTV, and more.